Switchboard construction



Jan. 11, 1927.

L. S. KEILHOLTZ ET AL SWITCHBOARD CONSTRUCTION Original Filed July 19. 1920 INVENTOR LESTER 54 KE/LI-IOLTZ mm EAN T DIG/(E) 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER S. KEELHOLTZ AND ERNEST DICKEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO DELCO- LIGHT COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SWITCHIBOARD CONSTRUCTION.

Original application filed July 19, 1920, Serial No. 390,247.

Our invention relates to unitary electric lighting plants such. as are used in farm lighting systems, by contractors, and in other situations wherein a unitary electric power or lighting plant of con'iparatively small capacity and driven by an internal combustion engine is desirable; and the object of our invention is to provide an improved switchboard and instrument supporting board construction and arrangement for use with such plants, the same being designed to support some or all of the instru ments commonly used with such plants for controlling the operation thereof and indi cating the electrical conditions and opera tion of the plant in question.

()ur invention is illustrated in its preferred form in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification; although it will be understood that the same may be embodied in various other forms, all coming within our invention, the scope of which appears from the claim at the end of this specification.

in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a view Showing a power plant of the general type above referred to in plan, and in a conventional manner. the same being equipped with a switchbard made in accordance with our invention.

liigure 2 is a view showing a power plant equipped with our invention in side elevation for the most part; both this and Figure 1 being broken away in part to better show certain features of the switch or instrument board construction.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing a part of the switchboard wherein our invention consists.

Referring now to the drawing, the power plant to which our invention is applied is one of the type wherein an internal combustion engine and a dynamo are housed within a single casing; the reference numeral 1 designating the crankcase of the engine, and 2 the field magnets of a dynamo driven thereby and the armature of which is carried by the engine crankshaft. The cylinder of the engine extends upwardly from the crankcase 1 and is surrounded by a draft tube 3 which encloses the same, and through which air is caused to flow by fan vanes 4 carried Divided and this application filed October Serial NO. 745.722.

by the fly wheel 5 of the engine to thereby cool the same. These and other features of power plant construction are, however, not disclosed in detail in this present application as they form no part of the invention to which this present application relates.

This present case is a' division of our copending application, Serial No. 2390,2 17, filed on July 19, 1920, to which reference is made for a more full exposition of the structural features of the power plant comprising, as above pointed out, a dynamo driven by an internal combustion engine.

The improved switchboard or instrument supporting board wherein our invention consists is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as carried by the power plant, and as secured to the portion thereof which constitutes field magnets or frame of the dynamo or generator portion thereof; the said board being designated as a whole by the reference numeral 6, and the constituent parts and distinguishing features of which are as follows:

The generator frame supports a metallic instrument board frame faced front and back with non-conducting panels 171. Panels 171 are secured to frame 170 by rivets 171. Panels 170 and 171 together form an instrument board carrying such apparatus as is necessary to the control of the electrical systems of the power unit. As shown the panels 171 carry an ammcter 1.72, a controller 173 for causing the dynamo, which has just been described, to operate to start the engine, a fuse 17 1, a knife blade switch 175, a relay 176. and an ignition coil 177, all as shown in Figure 2. The ignition coil is connected with a spark plug 178 projecting into the combustion chamber of the engine.

Wherever an instrument terminal such as terminal 17 5 of switch 175 extends through the panels 171, a hole 170 is provided in frame 170. This hole 17 0 is much greater in diameter than that portion of terminal 175 which projects through it. The openings in panels 171 for the projection therethrough of terminal 175 are larger in size than the terminal 175*. In this manner a very simple and efficient non-conduction mounting for the instruments is provided.

The preferred method of constructing the instrument board is to provide the metallic frame 170 or intermediate lamina with a series of holes spaced correctly to permit the projection therethrough of the various terminals or fastening portions of the switches and instruments to be located thereon, and to make those holes substantially larger than these terminals or fastening portions so that when a terminal is located concentrically with respect to its hole in frame 170, said terminal will be spaced from frame 170 sufficiently to provide the necessary insulation. The outside laminae or non-conduct ing panels 171 are provided with similarly spaced holes, these holes being preferably sli htly larger than the portions of the instruments which are to project tlierethrongh. These laminae are superimposed with the holes thereof in alignment, and then the laminae are permanently secured together in any suitable manner.

Having thus described and explained our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In combination with a power plant comprising an engine, and a dynamo driven thereby; a switch hoard comprising a metallic frame located above and extending transverse to said dynamo, and depending supports disposed one upon *ach side of and the lower ends of which are fastened to said dynamo; and two non-conducting panels permanently fastened to and arm iged one upon each side of said metallic ame; said non-conductingr panels and said metallic frame having registering holes and the holes in said frame being larger than the holes in said panels.

in testimony whereof we hereto allix our signatures.

LESTER S. KEILHOL. 50'. ERNEST DICKEY.

"ill 

